Defending Granger
by IwishIwasASlytherin
Summary: Does a witch like Hermione Granger really need defending! Pleas R&R...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing… Harry Potter is hers not mine! Lolz

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please Review!!! Thanks!!!

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CHAPTER 1

HEALER TRAINING

Draco Malfoy has called Hermione Granger too many names to count. Most of them were childish while some have struck a chord. He called her a bucktooth beaver, a know-it-all and his all-time favorite, dirty little mudblood. For seven years, he did nothing but torment the girl who stood by his greatest rival. However, if there were still a few hurtful words that he did not dare to hurl towards the Gryffindor. Those were the words heartless, cruel, sadistic, ignorant and worst of all, murderous.

Those are the same words that her classmates at Healer Training are using to describe her and Draco, the same arrogant bastard who would once marvel at the former Gryffindor's humiliation, is now standing by her side.

It started as a usual Ethical Healing class. Hermione Granger sat in front while other students opted to sit a few rows behind her. Draco Malfoy would always sit at the back near the exit, far behind the rest of the class. The old professor came five minutes late, which was not a big surprise to the trainees, seeing as their professor is near extinction.

"I need two volunteers for today's debate." The class immediately fixed their attention towards the brown haired witch who's reading her textbook.

"Granger, why won't you do it?" A brown haired man with round glasses yelled. The girls who were seated around the man sniggered while the rest of the class stared at the back of Hermione's head like hawks.

Hermione sighed. When she started attending Healer Training, she already had a reputation as a know-it-all after graduating with high honors from Hogwarts even if she hadn't taken her final year and garnering the highest score at the entrance exams. It also didn't help that she received a First class Order of Merlin for her efforts in the war and she's best friends with the Magical World's hero.

Everything that she did was turned against her. If she volunteers for something, her co-trainees would say that she's hogging all the grades for herself. If she didn't volunteer, they'll say that she's too good for anything that was assigned to them.

"Miss Granger, would you like to participate in our debate?" Hermione nodded with a scowl in her face.

Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes at the pathetic scene. He didn't think that such childish behavior would still occur in a room filled with adults. That is the same reason why he did not want to mingle with other trainees. It was too juvenile even for his taste.

He watched the brown haired witch as she went to the first podium on the stage while the brown haired man stood at the second podium, his cohorts cheering for him.

"Alright, today's theme is about one of my former cases. It was the same case that drove me out of the hospital halls and into the walls of academe." The professor said with melancholy. Everyone in the room was silent, carefully listening to what their mentor was about to say. "Twenty years ago, the Dark Lord was in his prime. As you all know, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was a vile creature and his minions were not any different. They were so evil that even a single, childish mistake could lead you to being hit with the darkest curses known to Wizards." The old man choked up, tears were present in his eyes.

"I once had a patient who was hit by an Imperious Curse. This curse was an ordinary one however, the command was inhuman." The professor paused while the students wait with anticipation for him to continue.

"A Deatheater by the name of Rabastan Lestrange hit him with an imperious curse that tells him to eat his own flesh." A woman immediately ran out of the hall with a hand in her mouth while some yelled in disgust. A frail man even fainted after hearing the disgusting deed. "Now, the question is, if you were in my position at that time, what would you do?" Draco Malfoy found himself immensely interested with the topic so he moved in front of the room.

"I would heal the man of course. Considering the fact that Rabastan Lestrange was caught twenty years ago, I would have taken his arse to St. Mungo's and dispel the imperious. Then, I would have healed his wound caused by the cannibalistic command." The brown haired man received a loud applause from his peers while Draco Malfoy held the same scowl that Hermione Granger and their professor had on their faces.

"I believe it's your turn Miss Granger." The Professor smiled at the brown haired witch while the trainees hushed up to hear what the witch has to say.

"I'll kill the patient." Gasps were heard around the room which was followed by rather violent whispers from the crowd.

"Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?" The brown haired man looked at the witch with confusion on his face.

"No, I said it loud and clear, I'll kill the patient."

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of healing?" Some of the audience laughed at the opponent's remark while Hermione stood her ground and looked at the audience with confidence.

"This just proves that she has murderous tendencies. She's unfit for this profession, make her an executioner instead. She'll enjoy it." Loud laughter was heard however neither did the professor nor Malfoy laughed with them.

"Heartless, she's gone mad!"

"Did her participation in the war have anything to do with her murderous tendencies?" A red haired woman who looked twice the age of the rest of the class laughed loudly.

Suddenly, Draco Malfoy stood up and faced the class with his wand drawn out. "For Merlin's sake, pull you bloody heads out of your arses and listen to her. Maybe you'll get something to fill your skulls!" Everyone was stunned. The only time that Draco Malfoy ever speaks in class was when he was either apologizing for his tardiness or answering a professor's question.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, please continue." The professor nodded his head towards the Gryffindor.

"First of all, I apologize for I have used an inappropriate term to describe such an act. Now, if you have read the Healing Code of 1975, it was stated that taking the life of a patient was permitted as long as there was consent from the patient's family and if the healer has ruled out all the chances of healing the patient." Hermione looked at her opponent like a predator, ready to catch its prey.

"Yes, I could dispel the Imperious but after that, I could be undertaking a much difficult task of healing his mental and emotional health. There's nothing harder than dealing with a dysfunctional mind and a broken heart. Also, if he was declared healed, would he be able to live with himself?" Hermione Granger asked the class. Some looked convinced while others were still skeptical.

"Why kill him? Why won't you let him kill himself?" A trainee asked from the back of the room.

"How will he kill himself, by eating his flesh? Here I thought I was the heartless one."

The professor looked proud while the trainees grew more jealous of the witch. No one would dare speak after the witch's tirade however, to everyone's surprise; a rather faint applause was heard from two people in the room. One was from the professor, and the other was from Draco Malfoy.

"That was splendid Miss Granger, and I believe that you just passed this subject with top marks." The class' jaws dropped while Hermione looked cross from grateful and bewildered.

The bell rang and the trainees started rushing out of the conference hall followed by their professor. Draco Malfoy slowly walked towards the exit but stopped when he heard the bushy haired trainee who called out his name.

"Draco Malfoy, don't take another step. I have something to tell you." Hermione Granger got her things from her chair and ran towards the blond man with a curious expression on his face.

Hermione was gasping for air by the time she reached Draco Malfoy. "Malfoy, I was wrong about you and I am sorry." Draco's eyes widened. The girl who was the object of his torment was apologizing to him and it made Hermione Granger into a much bigger mystery than she ever was.

The usually stoic Slytherin looked at the heroine and he could barely suppress his laughter when he saw the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. That was the moment when he realized that Hermione Granger was not as strong as the whole Magical Community thinks she was.

"Stop laughing, you idiot!" Hermione huffed but before she knew it, she was being lead out of the hall by her former rival.

"Come on Granger, have coffee with me, my treat!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing… Harry Potter is hers not mine! Lolz

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just had my birthday yesterday… so as a gift, I'm posting a dramatic chapter for everyone… ENJOY!!!

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**Chapter II**

**HEALING**

"Honestly, why do pregnant women keep coming here? It's just unfortunate that they might actually think that their babies are in the lines of magical maladies and Injuries." Healers inside the lounge rolled their eyes as one of the youngest in their ranks started another round of her tirades.

"My dear, some old wizarding families still has doubts about the muggles' methods." An older female healer said. "Although I must say that it's quite silly because after centuries of catering to pregnant women, we still do not have a department for it."

"I say we let Healer Malfoy take that department. It's quite amusing that pregnant women would always look for him for their check-ups!" The female occupants of the lounge giggled with the exception of the former Gryffindor who looked like she was about to throw up.

Suddenly, the emergency alarm rang. A healer trainee arrived, with a pale face. "Healer Granger, you are needed in the emergency hall! Aurors have shut the whole hall down." A Healer trainee panicked as she delivered the news to her superior.

Hermione ran out of the Healer's lounge followed by the trainee. The Aurors have recently started their search for a notorious qizard who supplies illegal muggle narcotics. Since they started their mission, the Magical Hospital's emergency hall has been shut down for a total of nine times.

"What in the world is going on?" The bustling hall fell into silence as the curly brown haired healer entered,twirling her wand with her fingers.

"Hermione, it's Evan." A voice from the farthest corner of the hall said with a faint sob. The former Gryffindor's face paled. She was rooted on the spot after hearing the name. Some healers looked at their colleague with sadness while others just simply shrugged and continued what they were doing.

Ecan Wingsfold was Hermione Granger's boyfriend of five months. He had the brightest blue eyes that was perfectly matched with his quirky smile. He was tall and well built. He was a former curse breaker, a thrill seeker with intellectual flare. Hermione saw a different sincerity in him that she was definitely swept off her feet. She immediately trusted him and saw him as almost one of her best friends.

"What happened?" Hermione asked the familiar red-head auror who placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked at her beloved's bloody bruised face and couldn't help but sob.

At that moment, Harry and Draco came in. They stood in shock as the young woman clutched the unconcious guy's hand and kissed it lovingly. "Who did this to him?" Hermione's tearful eyes darted towards her two friends.

There was an awkward silence after that. The two Aurors stood next to each other while the other Malfoy assessed the patient's situation.

"Answer me, who did it?" Hermione yelled, her wand was clutched by her shaking fist.

"We did." Harry Potter got the shock of his life when hermione's palm landed on his left cheek.

Draco Malfoy moved at the end of the hospital bed. He had a weird feeling that something will go terribly wrong.

"Harry, you knew who he was! What did he ever do to you?" The witch broke down but the raven-haired wizard stood his ground.

"I did it because I knew he mattered to you." Harry approached his best friend with a look filled with pity. "Hermione, he was caught red-handed selling muggle drugs to minors in Hogsmead." Hermione backed away from her best friends and bumped into the other healer in the room.

"No, it can't be. He wasn't even supposed to be in Hogsmeade. He had a meeting in Wales!" Hermione wondered, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"Perhaps he wasn't the honest person you thought he was." Ron Weasley said with coldness in his tone.

"I need to hear it with my own ears." Hermione pointed her wand at Evan's forehead and muttered one incantation after the other. "Ask for veritaserum."Hermione wrote a quick prescription from her pad and gave it to the red headed auror. Ron Weasley didn't dare to disobey the witch who has temporarily gone berserk.

"Hermione, calm down." The blonde Slytherin stopped the Magical world's hero from saying anything further.

"Stay put Potter, she's getting all the answers you need."

Ron came back with a vial of clear serum. "You guys better be right or so help me, I'm going to tear your bits with my own hands!" With a flick of her wand, the unconscious man coughed and gasped for air.

"Evan, can you hear me?" Hermione said, her face close to the suspect's face.

"Hermione, what happened?" Hermione looked at he Aurors duriously.

"You were involved in a drug bust. Evan, I need you to be honest with me. Were you a part of a drug syndicate?" Evan looked at Hermione then looked at the ceiling whimsically, as if it was the most amusing thing on earth. Harry and Ron listened intently while Malfoy rolled his eyes, knowing something that the witch doesn't.

"No, I wasn't."

"Then what were you doing in Hogsmead of all places?" Harry Potter yelled.

"Merlin, I can't take it anymore. Harry, hold him down." Ron took the vial of veritaserum from the female healer while Harry helped hold the struggling man down.

"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed but her best friends did not listen. Ron shoved the contents of the vial on the suspect's mouth.

"What is your real name?" Harry Potter asked. Evan tried to get up but it was too late. "INCARCEROUS!"

"Ernest McHugh." The man said. Harry looked alarmed at the mention of the name. Ernest McHugh was reportedly, the brains of the syndicate's operations.

"What were you doing in Hogsmeade?"

"We were scheduled to meet up with some Hogwarts students who wanted to get a hold of some of our merchandise." The three men looked appaled at the disturbing thought of stoned students running around the campus with wands. Hermione, on the other hand, was still silently processing the bulk of information in her head.

"Where are your Headquarters?" Evan looked like he was struggling for the words to not come out of his mouth but due to the truth serum, it just slythered out.

"My apartment in London." Ron immediately went out of the room and told the information to other Aurors who quickly apparated out of the hospital.

When Ron came back in, the room was awkwardly silent. He even contemplated going out once again to escape the embarrassment.

After a few moments, someone spoke up but to his surprise, it was Hermione. "What is the real reason why you went out with me?" She said with anguish.

"You're friends with two of the top aurors in the ministry. It's the perfect research strategy, don't you think?" Hermione could not take it any further. She walked out of the room sobbing like she had never sobbed before. The Harry and Ron grew even furious than they previously were while Malfoy just stared at the horrible man.

"You are a liar. You never loved her, did you?" Harry casted a silencing spell so that whatever it was that would be said in the room would not be heard outside.

"Oh come now Potter, you wouldn't even date her. She's not a looker, she's far from it. If she was the smartest witch of our age, why was she so quick to take me in? She was ignorant as hell. She wouldn't even know how to tame her bloody hair, yet everyone thinks she's worthy of being a bloody goddess." The man said with a diabolical laugh. Ron was ready to punch the living daylights out of the man but was stunned by the blonde Slytherin.

"I would pity the guy who'll end up with her. She's too bossy for her own good and has a stick so far up her arse that she can't even be a good fu - "

Before the man could finish what was bound to be a crude insult, Draco Malfoy punched him squarely in the face and he continued doing so until Harry got over the shock of seeing a Healer punching the hell out of his patient in a hospital bed.

"You know what, scums like you don't deserve to have anyone in their lives. If I ever see your face again, I swear on my ancestors that you will suffer until you bite your own dust." Ron stared in shock as the blonde healer threatened the patient before completely stunning the crude man. "Potter, make sure he gets what he deserves."

Draco Malfoy walked out of the room while his former rivals stared at him in awe. They now have a new found respect for Draco Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to the all-knowing, all-powerful divine being that is J.K. Rowling

Author's Notes: Wow, took ages to update this! I apologize and I punish myself by watching Twilight.

**Defending Granger**

**Chapter 3**

Hermione Granger is an innovator. Her Gryffindor courage and innate cleverness have paved the way to various reforms in many different fields. She, as a healer, pushed for Ministry Subsidized wolfsbane potions for werewolves. She figured that most of the werewolf population, like her former professor, was heavily discriminated upon especially with regards to employment prospects thus, having no financial means to support their "furry" problem.

Also, she and her colleague, Draco Malfoy, drafted new revisions to the Healers' Code of Ethics which nullified any Healer's and Hospital's rights to discriminate patients based on social standing, financial standing, race or specie, etc.

She also spearheaded a campaign for making medically accredited magical contraceptives to be made available for sale to witches and wizards as young as thirteen years old.

The topic spurred intense scrutiny by basically anyone in the magical world. Parents were outraged by, in their words, the "immoral" promotion of premarital sex to their children. The Medical Community were very encouraging, after years of shaking heads at the sight of young mothers giving birth at an early age and couples who claimed that their child was merely 'an accident'. Politicians were milking the issue dry. The younger ones were much more encouraging of the law while the older ones were harsh critics stating that the law was counterproductive to the lowering population and that the law was an insult to the moral cornerstones of the society.

It took a lot of pressing for the law to be considered by the wizengamot due to the lack of support from some of the brown haired witch's core group. The Weasleys decided not to take an active stance. Being a large family of 7 children, they're not exactly the model family to promote Magical Contraceptives. Harry Potter however, gave his all-out support mainly because he always has the witch's back. Though Hermione appreciated the support from her best mate, it wasn't reassuring for what she was about to do.

She had done it before. She appeared before the wizengamot to lobby for several campaigns but with this one, with all the hate propaganda around the issue, she just got a hundred times more nervous. Dressed in her healer robes, she stood outside the assembly halls, fidgeting like a seventh year student about to take her N.E.W.T.S.

"Bloody Hell Granger, you're a mess." An immaculately primped Draco Malfoy greeted her with a knowing smirk on his face. Oh how Hermione hated the man. Not only did he look good in his Healer Robes, he seemed to be the bearer of the most annoying smirk in all of Europe. The same smirk he used since childhood, only this time, with less hatred but more of a teasing manner. "I brought coffee." He handed her a cup of brewed coffee which they were both addicted to since their Healer training days.

"This will do nothing for my nerves Malfoy but thanks!" They sat on a wooden bench in relative silence. "Malfoy, this could make or break my Healing career." She stated in a whisper-like manner.

"I know, but you and I know you've been through this before. You just have to out-stubborn the old coots inside and knowing you Granger, your stubbornness will probably wear them out pretty quickly." The witch sent a glare toward her colleague which made the former Slytherin chuckle. "Or you can intimidate them with your big words like 'surreptitious', 'abatement' and 'tantamount'."

"You must be mistaking me for Percy Weasley."

"Don't be ridiculous. Last time I checked Weasley was too much of a pussy to take a stand about anything other than cauldrons." If the witch didn't know better, she'd thought the blonde just gave her a compliment albeit at the expense of a Weasley's idiosyncrasy.

The duo drifted in another pregnant pause, one that was broken by a ministry clerk, calling their attention. "You can come in." The less than welcoming tone of the clerk earned a raised eyebrow from Draco who stood waiting for the female healer. With an exasperated sigh, Hermione stood up, fixed her attire and walked to the vulture's nest with Draco trailing just a couple of steps behind.

"The Wizengamot's hearing on the Reproductive Health Reform Act also known as The Pansy Act will now come to order." Amelia Bones, a woman of dignified grace, said. She was only one of the seven women in the hundred seats of the Wizengamot, a margin that said thousands about the socio-political landscape of Wizarding U.K. "I will be presiding over this hearing as chairman of the Wizengamot Committee on Laws. Joining us is Hermione Granger, whom we all know for her many innovations over the past three years as healer and Healer Draco Malfoy who will stand as Ms. Granger's supporter."

"Good morning." Both Draco and Hermione greeted the intimidating bunch of politicians although in a different manners. Hermione was polite with a slight bit of confidence, like a Head Girl greeting a professor while Draco had his usual imposing posture and enunciation verging on arrogance.

"Ms. Ganger, you may begin your opening statement." Madam Bones said with a hint of amusement at the sight of the healers whom she has heard so much about from her niece Susan.

Hermione stood at the center of the chamber, old men waiting to pounce at her every statement. "Good morning, I am Hermione Granger, a resident healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am here to present a piece of legislation for Reproductive Health reform." Ungentlemanly snorts were heard all over the chamber. It's clear from that point that it was going to be a hard fought battle for the act to be approved.

"The act concentrates in 3 major points. The first key point is the legal sale of medically certified magical contraceptives starting from ages 13 and above. The second is the inclusion of sex education to the Hogwarts curriculum and lastly, a separate medical wing for maternity and pre-natal care at St. Mungo's." With a flick of her wand, parchments appeared in front of the members of the Wizengamot.

"I understand that there had been a lot of outrage caused by the reforms that I have submitted in this chamber, but I must put emphasis in the importance of the first two points. Last year, a record of 20 cases of pregnancies in young girls aged 14 years old to 16 years old were recorded at St. Mungo's. Thirteen of those cases were from Hogwarts students, in the middle of the school year. There had also been thirty other cases in several small clinics around the U.K, from teenagers attending different schools. However, the larger demographic of teen pregnancies was found to take place in Hogwarts. Mada'am Pomphrey raised her worries in the last Healer's meeting and she asked the hospital's permission to stack magical contraceptives in her storage however, we have yet to have an agreement with this chamber about the issue." Just then a stout man with graying hair stood up.

"Ms. Granger, the ministry has a re-population campaign; do you think it's a conflict of interest if we are to stop these pregnancies from happening?" Whispers and murmurs filled the halls. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic merely raised an eyebrow at his colleague but chose not to comment and leave the rebuttal to the clever witch in question.

"I think the ministry would want pregnancies to happen to able bodied, legal aged women. We don't want young ladies running around chasing children instead of their dreams too soon, do we?" Hermione answered smartly, staring at the man in the eyes.

"Well, aren't they to blame for their foolish action? Why don't we let them suffer the consequences of their mistake?" A tall, intimidating man answered from the back of the chamber. At that moment, a particularly agitated plump woman decided to answer back. "Here's the thing, only the girl will be able to 'suffer' through everything. The young girl will spend nine months with a baby on her womb, several painful hours in labor and years rearing the child whereas the boy can go off to wherever he wants; do whatever he likes, without a visual evidence of having a child. It's hardly fair."

Just then a vicious shouting match erupted from the cloaked members of the Wizengamot. It took several hammering of the gavel by Madam Bones to contain the hysterics.

"Ok, we're there. We have established that more young people are going all the way at broom cupboards somewhere in the Hogwarts castle but what about the moral for which our society stands? In fact Ms. Granger, you seem to know a lot about the subject, may I ask what and where your morals are?" Gasps were heard around the chamber. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat, outraged by the audacity of the wizard's words.

"I could ask the same to you Mr. Drywood." A seething Draco Malfoy stood up. His presence had been sorely missed in the whole debacle. Most of the occupants forgot about him being in the room that it came as a shock for some when his voice suddenly boomed across the chamber.

"Ah, the supporter speaks, young Master Malfoy!" Alexander Drywood piped up with a smirk on his face that's more fitting for a crook.

Draco Malfoy stood beside his nervous colleague and sent her a quick reassuring grin. "I was merely bidding my time Mr. Drywood." The blonde healer stood tall with a more conniving smirk of his own. "Members of the Wizengamot, I apologize for my silence but I personally believe that Healer Granger has something that I don't. The key to all this, it is something that no man can contradict its value." Hermione raised an eyebrow at her former nemesis. "What the hell is he talking about?" She thought to herself. Silently, she went through several things she acquired from her research that must have triggered Malfoy's stament – there was none.

"A Vagina." Hermione's jaw dropped while she heard snickers and even a hearty laugh that Hermione recognized to be an innate trait from a certain family of red heads.

"What the hell Malfoy?" Hermione whispered while embarrassment took over her nerves in a second.

"Most of us here are men. Let's face it! None of us will ever truly understand women and yet we love them because they give us everything in return sometimes, to a fault. When a woman gives love, she truly gives it her all. Women gamble their career, physique, and their lives at that moment of passionate embrace and yet here we are, on the verge of taking away one of their rights to protect their choice in a manner that does not give any respect to their superiority." Hermione had to give it to Malfoy, he had the eloquence of his father but his heart was entirely his own.

"We underestimate women and that wonderful nether region of theirs. Tell me how many of you have been threatened by their partners for a timeframe of no sex? That's the mother of all threats! Every man will succumb to that threat. It is a very powerful thing that I have no doubt, will make even the greatest of wizards crumble in defeat." The blonde wizard looked at every wizard in the room who seemed perplexed at the thought that he had raised. "Now, if we may have your full attention. Listen to what Hermione Granger has to say because it's the voice of your wives, daughters and granddaughters."

The presentation went without a hitch after Draco Malfoy said his peace and in less than a month's time, Magical Contraceptives were made available in apothecaries and much to George's smart business skills, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had them on display just beside the love potions. As Hermione suspected, he was on the chamber with Harry and Ron.

Everything went back to normal, as normal as one would expect from Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.


End file.
